SMJ // March 1977, Volume 70 - Issue 3
Editorial
Current Roles of Nursing in Health Care
Article
Common Bony Densities Mimicking Chest Disease
Images of bony densities on routine chest radiographs may simulate intrathoracic disease processes. Such entities include images produced by normal anatomic structures, anatomic variants, and benign processes. Most commonly, chest disease was simulated by virtue of projection or poor visualization of the bony density in question on the routine chest…
Article
Joint Surgery for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The state of the art in the surgery of rheumatoid joint disease is discussed with emphasis on guidelines for choosing the patients and the types of procedures available. Strong-willed, strong-boned, strong-muscled, and well-informed patients are the best candidates. Synovectomy is particularly useful in the minimally erosive stages of the disease…
Article
Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation
The introduction of the concept of intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) has meant that for the first time weaning is controlled. The abrupt cessation of ventilatory support, even for short periods, as was obligatory before IMV, is no longer necessary. The frequency of positive pressure inflations can be gradually and progressively…
Announcement
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Article
Asymptomatic Space‐Occupying Lesions of the Kidney A Programmed Sequential Approach and Its Impact on Quality and Cost of Health Care
Sequential roentgenographic investigation of asymptomatic space-occupying lesions of the kidney is credited with establishing the diagnosis in 84.6% of 940 patients using only two examinations. Two thirds of all patients were diagnosed by relatively noninvasive technics such as infusion nephrotomogram, renal scintiscan, and the cyst puncture and aspiration test complex….
Article
Management of Anterior Intraocular Opacities With the Roto‐Extractor
The roto-extractor was used in 32 cases of anterior segment membranes or opacities during an 18-month period. Of these, 27 eyes improved and five did not improve or became worse. Significant complications included retinal detachment, massive preretinal retraction, and recurrent hemorrhage which contributed to the visual loss in these patients.
Article
Resistance to Gentamicin A Growing Concern
Gentamicin was introduced in 1969 as a broad-spectrum aminoglycoside effective in vitro against a majority of aerobic gram-negative bacilli. In recent years gentamicin-resistant clinical isolates have become more prevalent. In our laboratory in 1975, 32% of Pseudomonas sp and 44% of indole-negative Proteus sp isolates were resistant to gentamicin. Resistance…
Article
Prevention of Inherited Multifactorial Diseases
Among the inherited multifactorial diseases are included a number of the common chronic diseases of adults. Assignment of risks within high-risk families, based on both genetic and environmental factors, offers opportunity for prevention of a portion of the present chronic disease burden. The most realistic option for prevention must be…
Article
Symptomatic Inflammatory Fibroid Polyp of the Small Bowel Report of Two Cases With Review of Literature
Two cases of symptomatic inflammatory fibroid polyps (IFP) of the small intestine are presented, and the 17 adequately described symptomatic IFP previously reported are reviewed. IFP of the small bowel are rare. Most patients present with intestinal obstruction and a few with chronic anemia. IFP have characteristic histologic features and…
Article
Transbronchial Lung Biopsy Using Fiberoptic Bronchoscope
Transbronchial lung biopsy through the fiberoptic bronchoscope was done in 15 patients, and adequate pulmonary tissue was obtained in 14 (93.3%). A pathologic diagnosis was made in nine patients (64.3%), and through direct histologic examination of lung tissue in two patients certain disease entities were excluded, thus significantly influencing treatment….
Article
Antimicrobial Resistance and R Factors in Salmonella Isolated From Humans and Animals in Georgia and South Carolina
Three hundred and five strains of Salmonella isolated from humans and 152 strains isolated from animals in Georgia and South Carolina during 1973 were examined for resistance to 14 antimicrobial agents. S typhimurium was the most frequently isolated serotype (30% of human isolates and 13% of animal isolates). The overall…
Article
Spinal Syphilis The Problem of Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody in the Cerebrospinal Fluid
Spinal manifestations of syphilis are now uncommon. Three adults with presumptive nontabetic spinal syphilis are presented. This paper should serve as a reminder to physicians that cases of late syphilis continue to occur and may be manifested as obscure spinal syndromes and be misdiagnosed unless the possibility of syphilis is…
Article
The FTA‐ABS Test A Diagnostic Help or Hindrance?
The fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test, an excellent confirmatory treponemal test, has been used increasingly for syphilis screening and case detection. To evaluate its performance as an initial test, we did Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) slide and FTA-ABS tests on 1,043 patients suspected of having syphilis. When retested…
Article
Evaluation of a Serologic Test for Gonorrhea in a Low‐Risk Female Population
This is a report of an evaluation of a new serologic test for gonorrhea—the Gonosticon Dri-Dot Test—as compared to the standard Thayer-Martin culturing technics in a low-risk female population. The Gonosticon Dri-Dot Test detected only 50% of the gonorrhea cases discovered by the conventional culture method. Furthermore, the serologic technic…
Article
Granulocyte Transfusion Therapy in Children
A prospective study of 45 granulocyte transfusions in children using continuous flow centrifugation is reported. During 13 episodes of proven or presumed infection, only two children failed to show a favorable response to granulocyte transfusion. The neutropenic child shows a significantly increased absolute granulocyte count one hour after transfusion. The…
Book Review
Genetics and the Law
Book Review
Orthopaedic Surgery in Infancy and Childhood
Book Review
Neonatal Intensive Care
Article
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Report of 430 Operations
Analyzed are data on 430 operations in 326 patients for median nerve compression at the wrist. Follow-up data from a patient self-evaluation questionnaire were available for 71% of patients. Incidence was highest in the fifth and sixth decades of life, and 65% of patients were female. For most patients, symptoms…
Current Concepts
Radiation Therapy in Cancer of the Rectum and Rectosigmoid
Carcinoma of the rectum and rectosigmoid is one of the major causes of death in adults. Despite marked advances in surgical skills, anesthesia, and antibiotics, the results remain poor. Although papers in the medical literature have stressed the importance of adjunctive radiation therapy, most general surgeons do not refer patients…
